EVB: 4 Years + 8 Months

It's been a busy month for Miss Ellen ... Thanks to play dates and sleepovers at her grandparents' houses and Park & Rec Pee Wee Sports, she has the fullest schedule in the family. Here's what she's been up to:

• Ballin': Ellen's spent the month of June learning that game of T-ball (with Dad) on Monday and Wednesday evenings. She did a great job listening to the coaches, waiting for her turn to bat and (sometimes) hitting the ball. She throws with her right hand, but bats lefty.
• Receiving visitors: Now, when the doorbell rings, it's safe to assume it's for Ellen. There's an assortment of neighborhood girls who come over looking to play with Ellen. It's pretty cute and Ellen seems to think it (she) is pretty cool!
• Meeting & greeting neighbors: Besides the group of little girls Ellen runs with, she started off the summer by chatting up the grownups on our street. She likes to stop her bike to talk to whoever might be out in their driveway. (Ellen has come out of her shell SO much in past few months. Gone is the shy girl who takes awhile to warm up ... EVB now is often the first to speak and she's articulate and very personable. We are very proud of her!)
• Pretending to jump the pond: Ellen likes an animated show called "Peppa Pig" about a British pig and her family. Well, Ellen now speaks with an occasional British accent and throws out British terms every now and then. For instance, the other day she asked me when we might take the "stabilizers" (what we Yankees call training wheels) off of her bike.
• Still loving "Frozen": I'm about ready to chuck the soundtrack CD out the car window, but Ellen still can't get enough of anything related to the movie. I recently caved and bought her an Elsa dress and Omma bought her the Elsa doll she's been longing for ... I thought Ellen was going to cry tears of joy; she was beyond excited.
• Being mesmerized by Muppets: We've watched a few old-school Muppet movies on Netflix and I recently introduced Ellen to "Muppet Babies" via YouTube, and she is in LOVE. For my sake, maybe Kermit and Gonzo can help move "Frozen" to the back burner for a bit.
• Lamenting over her employment status: For whatever reason, Ellen has been repeatedly bursting into tears over the fact that, as she puts it, she is 4-and-a-half years old and she doesn't have a job. This realization makes Ellen nearly inconsolable and she doesn't care how many times I tell her that it is not only not appropriate, but also illegal, for her to be employed at such a young age. All she wants is a job. So ... we've been discussing jobs she can help with around the house and she has also agreed to potty train her sister for me. Score!

 

Geting up close & personal with the stars of the Puppet Wagon

Lefty!

Painting a birdhouse one of her (adult) neighborhood friends made for her

I present ... Queen Elsa!

Father's Day 2014

A few pics from a great Father's Day celebrating a wonderful Dad ...

JEB: 27 Months Old!

Life with June this past month has been lots of fun ... She's as cute and sweet as ever and gets more hilarious each day. We can't get enough of her! Here's what she's been up to:

• Speaking in more thoughtful, complex sentences (e.g., "Ellen is sad, Mommy. I think she's "fwust-er-ated" and "Oh, Ellen, sweetie, what's the problem?!").
• Putting on her own shoes. She's tackled velcro tennis shoes and sandals and even manages to get the on the correct feet!
• Minding her manners. June has always been polite, but lately we're hearing "please," "thank you" and "'ya' welcome"ALL the time. My favorite is when June says (with genuine enthusiasm), "Why, thank you, Mama!" when I serve her a meal.
• Tormenting and teasing her sister. June knows just what buttons to push to set off Drama Queen/Miss Sensitive (aka Ellen). And, on more than one occasion, I've found June on top of Ellen, physically pinning her down.

Above all, June fills our hearts with joy and brings huge smiles to our faces every single day!

Last Day of the First Year of Preschool!

Ellen's first year of preschool has come to an end ... While she loved school and her teachers and friends, I don't think she fully understands that the year is over, so I'm busy being sad for her. Even though it was only two mornings a week, the school program was such a great experience for Ellen. She's grown so much (physically and emotionally) and it has been so fun to watch her learn and explore new things and make new friends. We are so proud of our little "Caterpillar" who will be moving onto the "Frog" Room in the fall.

Last day of school!

EVB: 4 Years + 7 Months Old!

Ellen has had another great month of being 4. She's loving the nicer weather and I think she'd stay outside all day long if we let her. She loves to ride her bike and scooter, blow bubbles, play on the play set and basically just run aimlessly around the yard like a puppy. The neighborhood kids have been outside more, too, so I'm sure Ellen will have plenty of playmates to pal around with during the next few months. EVB is definitely ready for summer and all the fun that comes with it!

JEB: 26 Months Old!

Little June is another month older! She's morphing from baby to big girl before our eyes and continuing to entertain us every step of the way ... Here's what Miss June has been up to over the past month:

• Singing. June is very loud and LOVES to hit all the big notes. Unless she overcomes her tone-defness, I'm gearing up for having to let her down easy when she asks if she can audition for "American Idol" several years from now. In addition to her favorite "Frozen" tracks, June also likes to belt out "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," "Alligator King" and "Frosty the Snowman."
• Asking "What about?" when she's "reading"books and wants us to give her a hint for what the words on the page say or what is going on in the picture.
• Worrying about broken toys, torn books, etc., by acting super disappointed, then saying, "How we gonna fix it?!"
• Playing like a big kid. June and Ellen are best buds these days and JEB does a great job keeping up and appeasing Ellen by playing whatever role her big sister has assigned her.
• Biking. June loves to practice pedaling her trike and likes to wear her helmet everywhere.
• Perfecting prayers. June's dinner-time prayer is greatly improved in clarity and she even does her own little version of the sign of the cross.

Mother's Day 2014

I was spoiled with love again this Mother's Day ... I was treated to a homemade pancake breakfast, beautiful flowers and cards, and an awesome keychain made especially for me by Miss Ellen. Best of all, I got to spend the day with my favorite people. Lucky me!